--- title: "News of the World: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/news-of-the-world/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/news-of-the-world" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 27 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # News of the World (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 27 reviews: 17 positive, 7 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics like News of the World, though rarely with much heat. The praise clusters around Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel: his understated, decent Captain Kidd, her fierce and off-kilter Johanna, and above all the bond that grows between them, which nearly every review names as the reason to watch. The widescreen Texas landscapes come next, admired even by critics who dislike the film, and a few single out James Newton Howard’s score. Where they part is over whether anything happens between the vistas. The mixed reviews find the story predictable, safe and a little slow, an old-fashioned Western that never surprises. The negatives go further: The Guardian finds it stolid and rarely alive as drama, Variety finds it handsome but dull, and Slant thinks its parable of a divided nation preachy and simplistic. The spread is wide, from warm raves to flat dismissals, but the middle settles on modest, comfortable approval. ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 December 2020. Ebiri gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it hauntingly gorgeous and praising Tom Hanks’s moving performance. He also singles out the film’s expansive vistas and James Newton Howard’s sweeping score. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-news-of-the-world-a-western-with-tom-hanks.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2020. Rooney finds the film soulful, affecting, and gently resonant, praising its intimate story of two people finding trust amid division. He singles out the nuanced performances by Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, especially their shifting dynamic. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/news-of-the-world-film-review-4103199/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 2 February 2021. O’Sullivan finds the film daring and often world-class, though its attempt to find middle ground does not always succeed. She especially praises Helena Zengel’s off-kilter poise and enchanting performance. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/news-of-the-world-netflix-review-tom-hanks-western-b900750.html) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 4/5. The review calls the film an evocative, atmospheric Western that remains faithful to genre conventions. It particularly praises the stunning photography and Tom Hanks’s reserved performance. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-uwvlu3/news-of-the-world/) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 26 January 2021. The review calls the film an emotional, soulful western. It praises the performances of Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/news-of-the-world) ## The i Paper — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2021. Macnab finds the film a handsome, moving western that renews familiar genre material with a contemporary perspective. He particularly praises Tom Hanks’s understated, layered performance and the convincing bond between Hanks’s character and the child. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/news-of-the-world-netflix-review-tom-hanks-western-864955) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B. 11 December 2020. Ehrlich finds the Western modest and emotionally uneven, but morally forceful in its portrait of a divided nation. He praises Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel’s performances, especially their grounded portrayal of two rootless characters seeking a home. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/news-of-the-world-review-1234603824/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 February 2021. Freer finds the film less gripping than Greengrass’s best work, but expansive, beautifully made, and quietly powerful. He especially praises the performances of Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, whose characters’ journey gives the story its emotional force. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/news-of-the-world/) ## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico Rating 3/4. 24 December 2020. Tallerico gives the film a positive but measured review. He singles out Tom Hanks’s performance and the film’s carefully crafted Western atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/news-of-the-world-movie-review-2020) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2020. The page identifies this as a review of the 2020 film, but the critic’s verdict is unavailable behind the access prompt. The visible standfirst only notes Hanks, Greengrass and Universal, without identifying a specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/news-of-the-world-review/5155579.article) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2020. The article text is inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be determined. Its specific praise or criticism likewise cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/movies/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks.html) ## Little White Lies — Charles Bramesco Rating 3/3/3. 7 February 2021. Bramesco finds the film handsomely mounted but staid and overly safe. He praises Helena Zengel as a magnificent find and notes how Tom Hanks’s reassuring presence suits the story. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/news-of-the-world) ## Total Film — Erlingur Einarsson Rating 3/5. 10 February 2021. The review finds the film worthwhile for its fine lead performances, though its plot has problems. It praises the emotionally potent moments between Kidd and Johanna but faults the film’s stereotypes and simplistic build-up. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/news-of-the-world-review-netflix/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2020. Chang finds the western sensitive and skillfully told, but ultimately less than wholly convincing. He praises Helena Zengel’s performance and rapport with Tom Hanks, while faulting the film for treating her character as a problem to be solved. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-12-11/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2021. The critic finds the film a decent but overly restrained drama that never quite takes flight. They praise its landscape cinematography and note that genuine emotion emerges late in the story. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/news-world-paul-greengrass-tom-hanks-paula-jiles-adaptation-post-civil-war-reconstruction-fable) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 1.5/4. 11 December 2020. Bowen finds the film monotonously preachy and its uplifting parable too simplistic. He singles out the lynched man’s removal as its most haunting detail, while criticizing the leads’ underdeveloped inner lives. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 5 February 2021. Bradshaw finds the western stolid and bland, rarely coming dramatically alive. He praises the tense chase scene, where Greengrass’s action skills flare up and Hanks’s decency is tested. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/05/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks-rides-straight-down-the-middle) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2020. Debruge finds the film gorgeous but dull, with little suspense or incident along its journey. He praises Helena Zengel’s defiant performance and the widescreen Texas landscapes, while faulting the film’s unengaging pacing. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks-1234850145/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B+. 11 December 2020. Goldberg finds the film a warm, comforting Western with an earnest message about communication and healing. He praises Tom Hanks’s convincing decency and the film’s sweeping landscape imagery. [Read the review](https://collider.com/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks/) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 8.3/10. 22 December 2020. Crump finds the film a handsome, pleasantly old-fashioned crowd-pleaser. He especially praises Helena Zengel’s transformation and the chemistry she shares with Tom Hanks. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/tom-hanks/news-of-the-world-review) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 11 December 2020. Crow finds the film tender, inviting, and satisfying, despite its predictable path and occasional awkward thematic clashes. He particularly praises Helena Zengel’s compelling performance alongside Tom Hanks. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks-western/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 76/100 (inferred from the text). 28 December 2020. Kermode finds the film a well-told, well-structured western, despite its lack of surprises. She especially praises Helena Zengel’s electric performance and the way she and Tom Hanks work together. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/news-of-the-world-2020-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Film Stories — Mark Harrison Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2021. The critic finds it a robust, unfussy western that is more engaging for its emotional focus, despite a predictable story. They single out Helena Zengel and Tom Hanks, whose performances and empathetic double act bring the film to life. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/news-of-the-world-review-hanks-and-greengrass-western-drama-lands-on-netflix/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 7/10. 11 December 2020. The critic finds the film uneven and predictable, despite its considerable strengths. Tom Hanks’s subtle performance and the storytelling scenes are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/578319/news-of-the-world-review/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls it a decent, worthwhile watch and finds its old-school Western approach engaging. They single out the heartwarming pairing of Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel and the film’s sumptuous landscapes for praise. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks-2877296) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2020. The critic finds the film an emotionally engaging Western, though its newspaper-reading and child-rescue storylines never fully converge. They praise the quiet gravitas of Tom Hanks and the intensity Helena Zengel brings to her role. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/news-of-the-world-film-review-tom-hanks-paul-greengrass/) ## Polygon — Robert Daniels Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2020. The critic finds the film a slow, rough-edged but ultimately compelling Western, saved by its lead performances. They single out Helena Zengel’s nuanced portrayal and the film’s faith in storytelling to bridge divisions. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/22169983/news-of-the-world-review-tom-hanks/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/news-of-the-world.md